Xenophilia
by TheCharrmingTatzlewyrm
Summary: A Cecilos Fic written for Oxyrtezart on tumblr inspired by her wonderful art work. You think he will hate you. You think that everything about you is disgusting but in reality it is beautiful,Cecil. He loves you. You and all your horrifying Eldrich quirky charms. Welcome to Night Vale.
1. Chapter 1

Everyone has something to hide.  
Everyone.  
It's usually a horrifying and life altering secret that will destroy most standing relationships.  
If they insist they have no secrets, bully them until they talk.  
Don't let them tell you other wise, THEY ARE LYING.  
Welcome to Night Vale

~Chapter 1~

Early morning as the dawn breaks over vast stretches of weed brush and sand; settling to begin a warming process on a small town that had slept slightly comforted and partially thawed from the harsh cold desert nights. A more specific spot in the still sleeping town was a second floor flat in an apartment building covered in crawling ivy and slightly frosted windows. Inside this flat is a bed that is currently holding two men; sheets tangled listlessly around midriffs and legs, both are flush post coitus. One of them who's body is slightly more muscular with a strong jaw, chestnut skin, and thick black hair with sensual, if not premature, greying at the temples is snoring slightly. The other has just rolled from his lover's warm grasp to expose himself to the cool still air of the apartment because he really had to pee. His lithe feminine frame and shadow wander across the expanse of chilled hardwood floor, through the well memorized living space to the restroom.

His skin housed swirling tentacle tattoos and many eyes, the lover long since used to their loving and metaphorically burning gaze. After relieving himself he washes his hands in the basin only to glare with scared shame filled intensely purple eyes. There is no mirror in the bathroom, it was shattered by a wonderful scientist weeks ago after hearing something that made him scared for his lover's life.  
"No." the word was a weak protest to something the man knew he couldn't stop. It slipped from eloquent lips and shattered on the plastic tile floor like a dropped blown glass Christmas bauble. "No no no no... He'll never speak to me. Oh my perfectly imperfect Carlos will run from me! I'm hideous!" It was a self proclaimed fear that was made heart breaking by a voice to heavenly to be twisted in such soft spoken agony.  
Cecil Palmer fretted about the small bathroom under the naked yellow light bulb for nearly an hour. If he was physically able to look into a mirror without fear of his own demise the poor male would see exactly what had ended his last long standing relationship.

Where Cecil once possessed only two eyes with the strange colored iris, he now had those plus three more on his forehead, each sporting an inky black sclera that used to be white. As he ran a nerve wracked hand through platinum blonde hair the skin was quite a extraordinary shade of deep lavender. Sharp shark-like teeth replaced the pale white pegs that were just yesterday housed in his mouth, his soft pink tongue is at this moment long writhing and violet with a forked tip. He had tried so hard to suppress this form, he really had in every way. Pacing naked in his bathroom Cecil's new appearance looked eldritch, ancient, and all together inhuman, demonic. He had no other choice; being quick Cecil gathered his clothing and dressed at nearly lightening speed. Writing a note for Carlos to find once he'd awoken before giving him one last kiss on the head, just lightly, lightly so he wouldn't wake the man who claimed his heart.

Less than an hour later, when the sun had almost completely risen crawling slowly across Cecil's large bed. Carlos shivered, the cold has seeped into the spot where Cecil should have lain. He reached out blindly for Cecil, to pull him close possibly even convince the radio host into a bit of morning sex. But when his large hand connected with nothing but silken sheets and mattress each time Carlos's pulse sped with growing fear. Cecil's side of the bed was chilled, he hadn't been here for a while. He lifted his head from the pillow, eyes frightened and awake. Every possible reason for his boyfriend's disappearance ran through the scientist's head and with each one the reason grew steadily darker and worse. Finally Carlos leapt from their shared bed in a whirlwind of boxers, pajama pants, and a rather suspiciously stained lab coat before storming from the flat to his truck parked outside.

"GOD DAMNIT PALMER!" He cursed to the sky, Cecil had taken Carlos's truck.

(The whole of this fic was inspired by post/64334361299/this-blog-lacked-some-eldritch-lo ving-my

Because Oxy is fantastic!)


	2. Chapter 2

**If you love something and it's run away for unsaid reasons**

**Chase it.**

**Because you deserve happiness,**

**In all of its disgusting heart wrenching forms.**

**Welcome to Night Vale**

~Chapter 2~

Carlos had returned to the flat paler then usual and shaking his head. Cecil wouldn't' just leave, not without telling Carlos. Not without waking him and kissing him goodbye, assuring the man he would return later and to good luck with any science he'd do that day. When he was pacing on a fervor Carlos's eyes fell on a sheet of note book paper, torn in haste and scrawled on in Cecil's favorite color crayon, lying on the kitchen island. He approached it slowly, having learned to be cautious of unknown things. It read as follows:

My Dearest Carlos,  
I am very sorry to do this but I have to leave. I'll be gone for a week at least. It pains me to be so far from you for so long but it is for the good of our relationship. I hope someday you will forgive me.-yours till the void consumes us all Cecil

The most logical first place to look was the station. So Carlos changed into more acceptable clothing for public, a simple light purple flannel (Cecil's favorite), worn leather sandals, and a pair of torn blue jeans, before going to the station which was located over a twenty minuet walk away. By the time Carlos had gotten to the station the morning host Marisol Arachnai, a woman of clearly strong Cherokee decent with a slightly gravel like smoky and sometimes hard to follow accent, had just finished her gossip segment and was playing the Morning Forecast when she exited the booth. He arched an eyebrow at her strange appearance, she sported an arachnid like eight eyes on her face each glowing the same exotic sunset like golden purple hue that usually only shone from two eyes. Long tarantula like limbs, fuzzy and a hazy black color sprouted from her back and supported her limply hanging body; she was wearing a bloodstained green tank-top that fell just above her knees, black boxers, and furry spider slippers.

"Oh hello Perfect Carlos." she said with a teasing grin that was filled with long thin needle like teeth, her o's sounded like uh's and she had a slight lisp from the teeth so her words sounded even more strange. Marisol noticed his frown and slight confusion, with a chuckle she squeezed his shoulder comfortingly. He felt slightly calmer as her presence made all Valiens feel safe, cared for, like a mother's warm hug and caress. "Hello Miss Arachnai. Have you seen-" "Cecil?" she interrupted him, though when she said Cecil's name it sounded more like. "Sea-sill-eh" but Carlos understood and nodded. "Yea, he was here less than a moment ago. Vee- upset, wouldn't tell me why." she looked a bit sad, her round motherly face even though she was younger than Carlos seemed ancient. Carlos looked to her for help, looked into her eyes with his own dark brown ones swimming with fear. "Do not worry friend he has not left you. Only his fear of you leaving is what has driven him to flee. His fear of you fearing him." The Morning Forecast was coming to an end and she stared hard into his gaze and said one final thing before returning to the booth. "Do you fear me?"

With the gleam of scientific curiosity glowing in his eyes he began to go on about how she looked very interesting and how he would love to study her limbs; till she rolled her eyes and shushed him sternly. "Then go find him and tell him you don't care how he looks. I have a show to do. Good Luck Perfect Carlos. Good Luck." And she slid back into the radio booth her voice, which was nothing like Cecil's but still enthralling and influential, rolling over the air waves.

"She never told me where he went." Carlos muttered, running a hand through his hair mussing his rolling perfect locks before shoving his hands into his pockets and leaving the station with an angry sigh.


	3. Chapter 3

**"We are not all as we seem.**  
**Some of us are monsters in guise of mortal men **  
**and yet some of us are merely giant spiders in the skin of strange exotic women.**  
**Mostly we are horrifying.**  
**Welcome To Night Vale."**

~Chapter 3~

Cecil was leaning against the hood of Carlos's truck looking weary and forlorn. The truck was parked in the far back corner of the Arby's parking lot, sitting off and being the only vehicle there. Cecil had a cigarette hanging limply from his lavender lips, the cherry coal was glowing pale blue with each inhale. He just needed to avoid Carlos for the next week or so, though that wasn't an easy task in and of itself seeing as Carlos would even go to Desert Bluffs to get Cecil back. The man sighed and knocked the ash that had begun to accumulate on the end of his oral distraction, then he glanced at the watch Carlos had given him for their anniversary two months ago. Nearly half the day had passed with him hiding out here.

Cecil pushed the sleeves up on his black button down shirt. Frowning as he did so, soon he'd have to go and do his broadcast surely Carlos would then see the horror that had become of his little radio host.

Cecil climbed into the hub of the pickup and turned it on. WtNVR filtered through the speakers, a message from the afternoon traffic report, Cecil began to relax just barely his eyes closing wearily to the sound of radio drama. It seemed a struggle for the microphone over the air was causing much static, cussing, and eventually the unholy screams of a displeased entity, it quickly switched to a PSA about proper bloodstone circle care. There was a tap at the window and his eyes snapped open; it was his assigned secret police officer clad in black uniform and balaclava. Cautiously he rolled down the window.

"Cecil Gershwin Palmer."  
"Please don't call me Gershwin."  
"Alright then, Cecil. Look I realize it over steps my work boundaries but I really don't think you should run from Carlos-"

He held up an hand to silence her, for the officers voice was definitely very feminine, and sighed. "I had too. You know how Steve reacted no? And Earl? Though he seemed to regret it later on... I don't want that to happen with Carlos." He gave a little whimper at the thought. "He's an outsider, he'd understand even less than a native Valien!" Cecil pounded his fists on the dash and the officer jumped back at this public display of powerful emotion. She had no words of hope to offer, the sad lavender male was more than likely right after all. What sort of outsider would stick around when even the towns inhabitants, who didn't know of this form at least, would turn heel and run.

When Cecil looked up, his many eyes a lot damper than they were moments before, his officer was gone. Back into hiding he supposed glumly. When the time came he pulled out if the drive and drove to the radio station, Oh it was certainly going to be a long night.


	4. Chapter 4

**Sometimes when your phone rings,it's important.**

**Sometimes when it rings, it's not.**

**And sometimes you remember you don't have a phone so how can it be ringing?**

**Welcome To Night Vale**

~Chapter 4~

Carlos heard it in passing just before leaving Old Woman Josie's house, not a single Erika was left after all so it wasn't like he could get heavenly help, only the older woman's wise words. Cecil's voice caressed the radio speakers in its velvet yet slightly trembling tones. "Cecil?!" Carlos gasped, surprising himself and Old Woman Josie. If Cecil had to leave then why go to work? Why not have someone take over for that short time he is supposed to be gone?

_"We are not all as we seem._  
_Some of us are monsters in guise of mortal men _  
_and yet some of us are merely giant spiders in the skin of strange exotic women._  
_Mostly we are horrifying._  
_Welcome To Night Vale."_

By the time Cecil had finished his introduction Carlos was out the door in a whirlwind of many emotions, most of which were punctuated by cussing and growled threats. The angry scientist didn't need to walk far before public transport randomly pulled in front of him. "WtNV Radio Station." he said in a low voice to the amorphous blob at the helm of the vehicle, which gave a weak gelatinous quiver when Carlos dropped fifty cents from his pockets into the coin cache. He had just barely taken a seat before falling onto the flat dusty cement of the walkway leading to the station door. "No matter what the cause I always end up back here."

Its true of course. Carlos figured the epicenter of any issue between he and Cecil could be traced back to something to do with work...and anything to do with work was directly connected to the insanity of that town he'd long ago realized certain things just did not need answers. He entered the station with an air of confusion, hurt, and slight anger. The intern for the day gave Carlos one glance and looked back down at their phone slowly, only offering a half hearted. "He's recording ya know." before going back to playing bejeweled. So then he'd wait till the Weather, now that he knew where Cecil was Carlos was in no hurry to confront him. So the scientist grabbed a seat by the intern and opened his own phone. All the texts he'd sent Cecil just sitting there, ignored. They started as kind and understanding...

**Carlos: Cecil honey whatever it is I can help.**  
**Carlos: You don't need to hide from me.**  
**Carlos: I'll love you for whatever happened, I know this isn't work related it would be on the calendar.**

Then slowly morphed to scared, frantic, and worried...

**Carlos: Are you getting re-educated?!**  
**Carlos: Cecil?**  
**Carlos: CECIL ANSWER ME DAMMIT!**  
**Carlos: Tell me where you are, please I need to know you're okay.**  
**Carlos: Cecil anything I don't care if it's just a string of random letters I need to know that you're okay!**

Finally they were angry, these were the most recent written in the time it took Carlos to be on the bus then on his ass out in front of the building.

**Carlos: Fine ignore me, I know you haven't left town. I heard you at Josie's on the radio.**  
**Carlos: I'm coming to the station and you WILL explain why I ran all over town searching for you . and why you stole my car.**  
**Carlos: Cecil, there better be a damn good reason for giving me a heart attack. . .**

Now Carlos wrote out a message from his seat in the waiting room, slow taps from his thumbs hitting the touch screen to write out something that would chill Cecil to the bone.

**Carlos: I'm sitting in the waiting room with Eric that new intern. Just wait till the Weather Cecil. Just wait. We need to have words.**


	5. Chapter 5

**Passion is something that can relate to plenty of emotions.**

**If you feel passionate about something please see your nearest hooded figure for a re-evaluation of life.**

**Welcome to Night Vale**

~Chapter 5~

A purple tail twitched in and out of view on the backside of bleached white jeans. The shocking color flexed and rolled against their contrasting background. Again his phone buzzed vibrating the desk, another text. PerfectCarlos flashed on the screen. Cecil sighed, there was a PSA running so he could check his phone quickly. It clattered to the carpeted floor with dull thuds. Carlos was just outside his studio. He wanted an explanation...then he'd leave. He'd leave Cecil and it would crush him. "Might as well get it over with, quick like a Band-Aid I assume." he muttered before realizing he was on air again. A spark of realization and a quick fix rolled from his serpentine tongue, it coiled with the silken vibrations of his voice. "And by that Listeners I mean taking you quickly, to the Weather."

The door to the recording booth swung open milliseconds after Cecil had pressed the button on his console. "Carlos I-" but before he could speak another syllable he was crushed into what can only be described as an angry hug. "Don't you ever do that to me again understand? Can't you answer a text all I wanted to know was that you were okay you idiot!" Carlos muttered into Cecil's hair. The scientist hadn't seen him, not just yet. Right now he was buried in the calming scent of his boyfriend's hair which smelled like sandalwood, Axe leather body wash and sweat.

Tears pricked at Cecil's eyes because he knew, he just knew Carlos would flee the moment he saw what he was hugging.  
"Uhhh Cecil?"  
"Hmm?"  
"You have a tail..."  
The silence stretched across the room like the glow cloud had just dropped an elephant in the room. Carlos released his lover slowly and stepped back. "Why you...you're lavender!" The scientist brought a calloused hand up to caress Cecil's face, the soft skin under his hands quite a drastic change from the night before was really quite fascinating, and for just a moment he didn't notice Cecil looking away disgusted with himself. No for a moment he- "You stole my car."

Ookay?...Apparently Carlos was still a little more than upset over the fact that he walked all over Night Vale in search of his stubborn Boyfriend. "Is this why you ran away Cecil? Is this why you didn't answer my texts and I had to walk to anywhere I would think to find you in this godforsaken town?" Cecil flinched when Carlos's passionate words hit him like a slap. "I ah- aren't you terrified of me?" Dumbfounded Cecil stood there just in awe, many eyes fixed on his lover hanging onto every word spoken, every scold doled out with a clenched jaw. "Cecil no. I saw Marisol this morning, now that...that was very strange t say the least but I digress. You left me a cryptic note, stole my car and had me terrified of something horrible happening that I would be useless to help with."

His grip switched to Cecil's shoulders now, shaking him slightly so he got the point. "Did you really think I would be scared of this?" Now Carlos's hands were caressing Cecil's bare forearms examining the change in his skin pigment, they rubbed small circles on Cecil's cheeks as dark brown eyes peered into red ones. The light in them was no longer annoyed but fascinated, scientific curiosity and the joy of knowing Cecil was absolutely okay shifted away any annoyance the darker skinned male may have felt. He kissed Cecil's upturned palm, then a little path on his arm, a nibble on his neck causing the other to blush, two kisses one for each cheek and finnaly a soft tender one on Cecil's lips. "You've had me scared of far worse more mundane things, Cecil. But right now? No, there isn't a thing wrong with you."


	6. Chapter 6

**Arguments should not be held over the radio.**

**Welcome to Night Vale**

~Chapter 6~

Though Carlos's words were apparent Cecil thought that maybe the scientist was lying just so he'd be happy. So the radio voice tried pushing away. "Carlos please I'm...I'm disgusting." he turned away, the Weather was ending. Thank the gods for a ten minuet song he supposed. "Cecil, please just listen. Would I lie to yo-"

"Welcome back listeners, in a brief editorial I'd like to remind all mundane citizens that the eldrichian horrors you may encounter in your day to day activities today should probably not be feared and will most likely not eat you. Refrain from trying to kill them for some may even be close family or friends. Yes they are terrifying and disgusting to look upon true but-"  
Carlos shoved Cecil and his rolling office chair a bit away from the console so he could speak.  
"In this scientists opinion who you are on the outside has nothing to do with the human heart beating beneath your chest, or in the words of someone I love 'we're all beautiful on the inside'-"  
With an angry snort Cecil scooched back quickly and elbowed Carlos aside to put in his two cents.  
"Now that's taken out of context-"  
Carlos placed his hand on Cecil's mouth, silencing him for a moment. The sun baked tan of his skin against lavender was such a contrast that Carlos actually gave a delicious shiver at the clashing colors.  
"Is it? Well listeners, it seems while I try to convince our good Mr. Palmer that appearances don't change the man. You will all get a healthy does of either dead radio air or...hmm what looks like Mozart's fifth Symphony backwards. As Cecil says Good night, Night Vale-"  
"Ah...As I say dear Carlos." Cecil stuck him with a glare and the scientist stepped back, hands raised with a chuckle. "Goodnight, Night Vale. Goodnight."

Carlos practically had to sling Cecil over his shoulder to get the stubborn man to come back home, or at least back to the truck because Station Management kept making uncomfortable squelching noises from behind their door. The whole time he half drug his boyfriend to the vehicle the scientist was being told 'how utterly disgusted you should be with me' and 'I'm a worse monster than Marisol, at least her eyes are pretty.' which were argued back by 'you're the most beautiful creature I've come across in my entire life, my wonderful perfect Cecil.' which were replied to with being whipped with the ever present agitated tail. Carlos opened the driver side door and threw Cecil unceremoniously across the cab into the passenger seat. "And of course now you're probably just going to take me home just so you can-"  
"Cecil please, I'm begging you with every fiber in my being, shut your pretty little mouth." Carlos snapped rubbing the dent that had formed between his brows. Cecil quieted and his jaw snapped shut with a clink of sharpened teeth. All eyes were narrowed and trying not to cry, locked on Carlos and waiting for the finishing blow. He didn't speak or look at Cecil, he only sighed; it was a heavy sigh that seemed to place weight on his broad shoulders, gripping the steering wheel while they sagged.

"Are you quite finished?" Carlos's voice broke the silence with cool words like spilled water. He glanced over to see his lover looking crossed between wanting to sob and wanting to yell. "Good. Now please explain to me why, in all of this heat cursed desert would you think I'd hate you in this form?" he reached out for Cecil not caring that the other man coiled from his touch. Grabbing his wrist he pulled the smaller male across the seat to him, his other pushed against the purple flannel that caressed Carlos's chest trying to escape the vise hold those larger hands held on his waist and wrist. "Who fucked you up about this form, Cecil?" Noses nearly touching Carlos's pulse was racing. This was Cecil, this IS Cecil. The strange skin pigment, multiple eyes, the tail which was hanging limp at the moment, sharp teeth and all was on a face familiar but not. He smiled softly as Cecil peered at him over his glasses. "...Steve." he muttered looking into eyes that held nothing but acceptance.

"Well forget about him." Carlos purred, "I'm gonna make you feel as gorgeous as you are." and their lips connected. Salty tears that had threatened to fall from sorrow now rolled down Cecil's face with joy as he kissed Carlos. A low growl built in his throat as Cecil shifted to strattle Carlos's hips, lips still locked as neither moved. It was a moment of unspoken words. 'I'm going nowhere.' pounded Carlos's heart and Cecil understood. The brine flavored kiss was soon beginning to become more heated, lips moved against one another in rough passing and a tongue begged access to a razor sharp mouth. Carlos was rubbing circles with his thumbs on the skin beneath his grasp on the eldritch male's hips creating little gasps to emit from his partner at the tender motion. "Mmh!" Carlos moaned in surprise as a long tongue snaked its way into his mouth it wasn't unpleasant in the slightest and gave the scientist quite a few ideas in which to make use of it's extra length, tangling his fingers into soft blonde hair he broke the kiss. Nipping at Cecil's tri pierced left ear before making his way down that tender throat peppering it with licks and kisses. "Beautiful. Perfect. Wonderful. Exquisite and so thoroughly intriguing." he said between the lavish worship he was giving to Cecil's throat. Through pants Cecil muttered, "You say that because you're a scientist."

Carlos hummed a chuckle. "Are you complaining?" he was deftly working on sucking a darker purple mark on his boyfriend's neck. "N-no" 


End file.
